Showcasing Local Foods and Growers
The last weekend of September marks the end of the 2019 Williamson Farmer’s Market season, but they plan to finish strong. The 5th annual Farm to Table Dinner will take place on October 5th. Kristen DeBoard, one of the dinner’s organizers, describes the event as “a fundraiser for the market to end strong.”
The dinner is meant to celebrate the Farmer’s Market and the local growers that make it happen. “The real showcase of the dinner is the fresh local foods and the growers that come to meet everyone,” says Kristen. The dinner is also an important part of the Farmer’s Market’s goal to become completely self-sustaining. “We have a lot of expenses that people don’t usually think about...our idea is to be sustainable and not dependent on grant funding forever.”
Culinary Flair
Organizers build the menu around what will be available locally. “We also aim for things we think people like but add some culinary flair,” Kristin says. The menu this year includes hot pepper jelly spreads, butternut squash soup, pork brisket, sweet potatoes, and cushaw made into pies.
The dinner this year will be different from years before in a couple of ways. Girls from Crossroads Recovery will be coming to help serve. Students from the Pro Start Programs at Tug Valley High School and Mingo Central High School will also be helping to prepare the meals.
The farmer’s market will return to Williamson in May 2020, but it won’t be entirely absent during the cooler months. There will be a winter market the weekend of Thanksgiving with live trees, fruit baskets, and jams and jellies, as well as handmade gifts from vendors in the area.
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